For the second straight season, a "Tiger Bowl" opens up the campaign as the Tigers of Louisiana State University and Clemson University meet at the "Death Valley" up in South Carolina .
Both teams had massively high hopes to start out the 2025 season, with LSU ranked No. 9 and Clemson No. 4 to begin the season, only for both teams to barely make bowl games as they finished with a 7-6 record each, with both of them losing their respective bowl meetings.
But what happened last time the two Tiger teams that each call their home turf "Death Valley" squared off on the gridiron?
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) runs out of bounds near Louisiana State University safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, Aug 30, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In their first meeting since Joe Burrow led LSU over Trevor Lawrence and Clemson in the 2019 National Championship game, the two teams opened their campaigns in a hard-hitting match between what was then two top 10-ranked programs.
Dabo Swinney's Tigers would score first with a 42-yard field goal made by Nolan Hauser in the middle of the first quarter, the only points put up by either team in that period.
LSU kicker Damian Ramos would answer in the early part of the second quarter with a 52-yard field goal to knot the game at three before Clemson running back Adam Randall punched the rock in from one yard out to give Clemson the 10-3 lead heading into halftime.
LSU's comeback in the game was slow, but still effective, which started with a two-yard touchdown run by running back Caden Durham at the 8:59 mark in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw Brian Kelly's Tigers take their first lead of the game as quarterback Garrett Nussmeier found tight end Trey'Dez Green in the end zone with 12:18 to go, putting LSU ahead 17-10.
Clemson would go on to turn the ball over on downs in their next possession, before the two teams would trade punts throughout the final quarter.
Finally, as the two-minute timeout gave Clemson one last chance to at least force overtime, quarterback Cade Klubnik marched the team all the way to LSU's 15-yard line, but unfortunately resulted in three straight incompletions and a game-sealing turnover on downs.
Two kneeldowns later, and the LSU Tigers were 1-0 to start 2025.
Nussmeier completed 28 of 38 pass attempts for 232 yards and the one touchdown to Green, who only caught two passes for 17 yards.
Caden Durham led LSU in rushing with 74 yards and Aaron Anderson was the leading receiver with six catches for 99 yards.
The two Tigers schools meet in Baton Rouge on September 5 to open up the 2026 year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/lsu as What Happened Last Time The LSU Tigers Played Clemson .
